2015 NYSAC

Legislative Program
This Legislative Program was developed by county delegates, and reflects the need for specific state
or federal action. These priority issues have a direct impact on local governments, our businesses and
the New Yorkers who live in our communities. We appreciate your active support for this initiatives.

Key Priorities:
1. Continue Efforts to lower local Medicaid expenses
2. Restore historic 50/50 state/county share for cost of the safety net program
3. Avoid measures that shift costs to local governments and property taxpayers
4. Fully fund any expansion of current mandated programs or public
policy reforms that are expected to raise local costs, such as indigent defense and changes to the age of criminal responsibility
5. Enact an omnibus sales tax rate renewal bill and honor home rule

Priorities By Issue Area:

Medicaid and Human Services
Preserve the states cap on local Medicaid
costs
Restore historic 50/50 state/county share for
the cost of the safety net program
Avoid cost shifts as the state takes over local
Medicaid administrative functions
Ensure the state fully funds social programs
necessary for raising the criminal age to 18
Continue effort to reform financing of youth
detention and services for youth in state run
facilities
Taxation and Finance
Lower the costs for counties as a way to
provide permanent and meaningful property
tax reductions
Honor county home rule revenue requests

Judicial
Develop a state-funded indigent defense
system
Ensure full state funding for any increase to
arraignment/first appearance attorney services
Public Safety
Increase state funding for probation and
alternatives to incarceration
Equitably allocate Statewide 9-1-1
Interoperable Communications Grants
funding
Oppose FCC actions that increase cost on
local jails for inmate phone calls
Promote best practices for photo identification
and interrogation techniques
Increase telecommunication equipment
funding for county jails
Require updated drivers license photos to

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Gaming
Ensure casino revenue streams flow to county
governments
increase safety for residents and officers charged
with identifying individuals
Children and Families
Establish stronger audit program integrity
protocols in the early intervention program
Reform preschool and summer school special
education programs

Public Health and Mental Health

Reinstate article 6 revenue offset reimbursement
for mandated public health programs
Foster collaboration and information sharing as
the State OPWDD transforms the developmental
disabilities system in communities across the state
Transportation

Public Employee Relations

Allow creation of municipal health insurance
consortiums
Implement cap on payments adapted in 2007
workers compensation reforms
Oppose efforts to create new public employee
benefit mandates
Reform the Scaffold Law
Economic Development
Expand efforts to create venture capital funding
in all regions of the state
Encourage tourism by allowing RTVs on local
trails
Support the use of land banks, incentives for
asbestos remediation and funding for brownfields
cleanup and using state settlements to invest
in economic improvement opportunities for
distressed properties
Protect the ability of IDAs to promote local
economic development

Secure federal highway funding for locally owned

roads, bridges and culverts
Target state investments in strengthening locally
owned roads, bridges and culverts with recent
settlement monies received by the state
Increase investments in airports
Agriculture, the Environment, and Energy
Oppose proposed federal rules that would redefine
waters of the US and expand the reach of the
Clean Water Act
Support statewide policies and programs that help
manage and combat the spread of invasive species
Help connect counties with renewable energy
options to help reduce energy costs for local
governments and improve energy independence
and resiliency across the state
Telecommunications
Promote broadband expansion and formalize local
government participation in the proposed merger

Additional details and supporting documents can be accessed at:

www.nysac.org/legislative-action/NYSACLegislativePlatform2015.php.